Waterfront Living Guide

How to Choose a Waterfront Property

Evaluate your lifestyle and needs to find that perfect place by the water.

By Shannon Petrie, FrontDoor.com | Published: 9/24/2008

Whether you love to boat, fish or simply enjoy nature, determining how you plan to use your waterfront property will help you with your search.

Determining Your Needs

"This is probably the most critical part of looking for waterfront property," says Ramara Garrett, owner of Waverly Property Group in Daytona Beach, Fla.

When potential waterfront homebuyers come to Garrett, the first step she takes is finding out how they want to use the property. "The most important thing is determining what their passions are, what they care about, and what their priorities are when it comes to waterfront living," Garrett says. "From there, we can figure out what area they need to be in and focus in on specific properties."

Start by asking yourself some questions to get a feel for your expectations of a waterfront property:

What types of activities do you enjoy?

This is a huge factor in choosing a waterfront property because you'll want to choose a property that makes it easy for you to enjoy your favorite pastimes.

• Boating. For avid boaters, the size of the boat becomes a crucial part of finding a waterfront property. "There are a lot of properties that you can't put a large boat behind, or accessing that property is not feasible because of the river depth, oyster beds or tides," Garrett says.
• Fishing. Fishermen will want to stick to properties with easy access to the water. For a wider variety of fish, buyers should also look for deep bodies of water that support cold water fisheries.
• Kayaking or canoeing. While large, active bodies of water are a good fit for many boaters, some buyers may be looking for a more intimate waterfront experience. "If they want to go kayaking and canoeing and commune with nature, they would hate being on a big, busy lake with jet skis and all that stuff," says Tom Ferent, broker of Mr. Lakefront, which specializes in lakefront properties in Maine.

How often do you plan to be there?

Some properties aren't meant for year-round use. In rural Maine, for instance, seasonal homes called "camps" are great from mid-spring to mid-fall, but often lack proper insulation, central heat or a year-round water source, making them unsuitable for winter use.

In Florida, Garrett finds that most buyers looking for a seasonal home prefer oceanfront homes over intercoastal homes. "It's something they can bring their family to and enjoy as a family getaway," Garrett says.

What other lifestyle needs do you have?

Besides allowing you to enjoy the activities you love, your waterfront property should meet any other needs you have as well. If you have medical needs, be sure your property is convenient to a hospital. If you travel often on business, limit your search to properties within an hour of an airport. This is a good way for families to find compromise: if one person loves the lake and another loves the ocean, buying a lakefront property near the ocean will make everyone happy.

NEXT: Scoping Out Properties >>

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